File for accounts.



W. B. MITCHELL.

FILE FOR ACCOUNTS.

APPLIOATION FILED same, 1909.

Patented Ju1y12Q1910.

2 sugmssmm 1L W. B. MITCHELL.

FILE FOR ACCOUNTS. APPLIGATION rngm SEPT. a, 1909 Patented July 12,1910.

.2 BHEBTS--BHEET 2.

marks may be placed.

qnently sufficient space WICKLIFF B. MITCHELL, OF BEDFORD, INDIANA.

FILE FOR ACCOUNTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1910.

Application filed September 8, 1909. Serial No. 516,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VICKLIFF B. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bedford, in the county of Lawrence and State of Indiana, have invented a. new and useful File for Accounts, of which the following is a specification.

This invcntion'has relation to files for account slips and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and convenient means for holding le slips upon identified cards and means for holding the said cards in alphabetically indexed relation. I 7 Also it is the object of the invention to provide means whereby the said *ards may be held in open or closed order so that the cards may be easily referred to when needed and compactly stored when not in use.

\Vith the above objects in view the file includes a receptacle having transparent sides and a grooved bottom. That part of the bottom lying at the opposite sides of the groove therein is roug iened or covered with a material having a rough surface, and it is upon this roughencd surface or rough material that the ends of the cardsare adapted to rest. side is located in the receptacle and a rod traverses the length of the roove inthe bottom thereof. A movable lock haviiw an inclined side rests upon the bottom of the receptacle and is provided with a depending lug having an opening which at times is adapted to gripthe said. opposite edges of the saidrod. Each of the cards used for the purpose of keeping an account with an individual is provided with a clipnnder which the edges of slips containing the items of account may be inserted, and each of the said cards is provided at ts upper end with a tab upon winch individual identification account cards are not arranged in continuous line throughout the series and conseintervcnes between the tabs of the series of cards to enable one to distin uish one card from another at a glance. ndex cards are also provided and have at their upper ends tabs bearing distinct alphabetical characters, and the tabs .upon the, index cards are located'at points approximately midway between the side .of index cards.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l A fixed block having an inclined The tabs of the said edges of the cards, and consequently the tabs of the series containing the alphabetical characters are alined throughout the series is a perspective view of the file. Fig. 2 is a I transverse sectional View of the same. Fi 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bottom of the receptacle forming a component part of the file. Fig. 5 1s a perspective view of one of the slip retaining cards, showing a slip in position thereon. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the slip retaining view of one oflthe index cards used in the file. The file includes, a receptacle l/Ihavin a hinged top 2 provided at its free edge with a hasp 3 adapted to engage a staple 4 upon the receptacle 1 and upon its upper outer surface is a handle 5. The body of the receptacle 1 is provided in'its sides with transparencies which may be of glass, celluloid, or other suitable material and the bottom 6 of the said receptacle is provided with a longitudinally disposed groove 8. A block or partition 9 having an inclined surface .is fixed within the receptacle 1 and at one end thereof. the groove 8 and at its ends is secured to fixed parts of the receptacle 1, while'its, in termediate portion is spaced from the walls of the groove 8. A block 11 is slidably located in the receptacle 1 and is provided with an inclined face 12 atthe lower or tion of which is located a lug-:13. The in v 13 is provided with a perforation 14 whic receives the rod 10 and when the lower side of the block 11 is resting upon the bottom 6 Q of the receptacle 1, the upper and lower edges of the perforation 14 grip or on age against the upper and lower surfaces o the rod 10, and'hold the block 11 against movement within the receptacle 1. The upger surface of the bottom 6 at the opposite s1 of the cove 8 is roughened, as at 15 (best shown in Fig. 4). This mav, beefi'ected b covering the bottom of the surface 6 wail sand-paper or by gluing granules of sand to the upper snrface of the-bottomorhy applying any other strip of material "to the'upper surface of the bottom and providing the said material with a rough surface Each slip retaining or account card iii is cards devoid of slip. Fig. 7 is a perspective 70 A red 10 traverses the length of 85 tabs 17 carried by the cards 16 are not lothe rod 10 and thus liberate the blocl 'll and tabsiti of all of the account cards 16 cannot will not'slide along the said bottom as they are turned. In order to move the blockll along the bottom 6 of the receptacle 1, it is .55 that the opposite edges of the perforation provided at its upper end with a tab 17 upon 1 which may be entered the initials or name of an individual. Each card 16- is further I provided at its upper. portion with a space 18, in which may be entered address or other 1 data. A clip 19 is fixed to the face of each 1 card 16 and while the said clip may not necessarily be of spring material, it should ossess sufficient'resiliency to permit the e ges of account slips 20 to be passed under the free end or to be readily removed from the l card 16. Theslip 20 may be of any design or pattern but should not be of such dimensions as to project beyond the edges of the card 16 when lacedthereon. Index cards 22 are provide and each of the said cards is provided at its upper end and at a point midway between its side edges with a tab 21 and the tab of each card bears a distinct alphabetical character. The card 22 may be plain or if desired may be provided with lines as shown inFi 7 upon which entries or notes may be ma e..

When the cards 16 and 22 are. in position in the receptacle 1' they rest atctheir lower ends upon the roughened surface 15 on the bottom 6, and in the case of the index cards the tabs 21 throughout the entire Series are in alinement longitudinally of the'receptacle 1. The account cards are arranged alphabetically between the index cards 22 but the cated' at the same points along the upper edges of the cards and consequently the said assume alinement' longitudinally of the receptacle 1 and therefore entries made upon the said tabs 17 may be observed at a glance when the cover 2 is swung'back from the receptacle 1 and the block 11 is'moved to such an extent as-to permitall of the cards to lie approximately parallel with the inclined surface of the block or partition 9.

When it is desired to have access to any pa-rtic "1' card 16 for the purpose of placing an ace it slip 20 thereon, or for removing such a slip therefrom, the cards preceding the desired card maybe swung over, and inasmuch as all of the said cards have their lower edges in contact with the roughened surface 15 of the bottom 6, the said cards necessary to swing or tilt the said block so 14 in the lugs 13 will disengage the sides of render the same free to move within the receptaclc 1. As soon as the block 11 is permitted to fall back in a normal position upon the bottom 6 it is automatically locked in fixed position upon the. bottom 6 as heretofore described. By this arrangement it will be seen that a simple and convenient file is provided for holding accounts in a readily accessible manner and by reason of the fact that the sides of the receptacle 1 are provided with transparencies, sufficient light is admitted into the receptacle 1 to enable a person to see entries made at the lower portions of the slips without necessitating that the card bcari'ng'the particular slip be withdrawn from the receptacle in order to gain sutlicient"light.- Also it will be seen that convenient means is provided for adding or dei'lucting items from the account of any particular individual for each slip upon each card may be removed from its card without'disturbing the other slips.

By reason of the fact that the clips 19 are located upon the sides of the cards 16, they may securely hold the slips in place. The clips prevent the slips from working up when the cards are handled and they prevent a front card from sucking along a slip upon a rear card when the front card is turned, thus holding the slips and preventing the same from getting lost or misplaced. The clips need not be of spring material but they should, possess elasticity and flexibility. I

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A file comprising a receptacle having its sides provided with transparencies and provided in the bottom with a groove, a rod traversing the length of the groove, a block located in the receptacle and having an inchned surtace, a block shdablyj mounted 1n the receptacle andhaving a lug which receives "upper edges tabs, clips provided upon the said cards and a series of index cards hav- -ing at their upper edges tabs provided with distinct alphabetical characters.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own, I havehereto atlixcd my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

. WICKLTFF B. MITCHELL. lVitnesses:

" Hohario HARRYMAN,

\VALTER G. OWnNs. 

